Sifter and strainer



(No Model.)

J. O. WALKER 8v DpNIOHOLS.

SIFTER AND STRAINER. No. 251,078. Patented Dec. 20,1881.

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Z i i 7 I J! /W.

j EH ,B 1/! I Z f l WITNESSES: INYENTOR':

i3 BY if v TTORNEYS.

1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. \VALKER AND DAVID NICHOLS,OEKEARNEY, NEBRASKA.

SIFTER AND STRAINER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 251,078, dated December 20, 1881.

' 1 Application filed May 25, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN G. WALKER and DAVID NIoHoLs, of Kearney, in the county of Buffalo and State of Nebraska, have inventedanew and Improved Sifter and Strainer, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved device for sifting flour, meal, and like articles, and for straining fruit, jellies, 8:0.

The invention consists of a cylindrical vessel, open at both ends, havinga hollow handle attached at right angles to it, and having a hemispherical sieve held within itin an angular groove formed in said cylinder below the junction ofthe handle; and it consists, further,

of an improved agitator or stirrer, of agenerul circular shape, having elastic arms, which stirrer is provided with a crank-handle thatextends outward through the hollow handle of the device; and itconsists, further, of a case or box provided with a hopper having a cut-ofi", the end of which hopper extends below the box for connection with the sifter, so that the contents of the box and hopper can be discharged at will into said sitter.

Figure l is avertical sectional elevation of the combined sitter and box. Fig. 2 is a plan of the sifter on line a; a), Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modification ot' the stirrer.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, A represents the sitter or strainer, consisting of a cylinder, A, preferably of sheet metal, open at both ends, and having an annular groove, a, formed within it below its center.

B is a hollow tapering handle, rigidly secured to a side of the cylinder A, and communicating with its interior.

0 is a hemispherical sieve, fitted in the annular groove (1, and D is the stirrer, consisting of a disk, I), with wires 0 a, secured crosswise on either face of the same and at right angles to each other, there being on each face of the disk 1) two wires, cc, whose ends extend beyond said disk b, nearly to the diameter of sieve U, and are then curvedi jwith their extremities pointing toward the axis of the disk I), so as to form together a stirrer of general spherical outline, with elastic arms ff, that will yield when coming in contact with any hard substance during the sitting operation, and therefore permit said stirrer D to perform its work without stop or hinderance.

Attached to the center of the disk I), at right angles to wires 0 e, is a crank-handle, g, that extends outward through the handleB, for the operator to take hold of and revolve said stirrer D.

In Fig. 3 is shown a modification of the stirrer D, wherein the two wires 0 c on each face of the disk I) are fixed parallel with each other; but those on one face are set at right angles to those on the other face of said disk I). The general outline of thislast stirrerD is the same as the first one, and it operates in the same manner, its armsff being elastic.

E represents a box or case provided with hinged cover h, and supported on legs 1 l.

'Within this box E is secured a hopper, F,

whose neck m extends down through the bottom of said box E, while just above the neck m a slide, 12, is placed in the said hopper F, whereby the discharge of its contents can be regulated. This box or case E is designed to hold a quantity of door, meal, or other articles requiring sifting, and the sii'ter A is designed to be fitted on the neck m of the hopper F, for convenience of sifting the contents of said box E as required. This sifterAis designed to be generally used, independentlyof the box E, for sifting flour, meal, spices, &c., and for straining fruit, pulps, jellies, and the like, the sieve 0 being removable, so that. others of different mesh may be introduced into the cylinder B to suit the article to be sifted or strained.

We are aware that sifters somewhat resembling ours have been used; but we know of none in which the stirrer-arms are elastic and arranged to cover in their revolutions the whole inner surface of the sieve; nor are we aware of any in combination with a chest or box and hopper from which the article to be si-ted is automatically fed into the sifter. Hence we do not broadly claim a cylindrical case with sieve and revolving stirrer; but,

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. As an improved articleof manufacture,a sifter and strainer constructed substantially as herein shown and described, consisting of cylinder A, provided with internal annular l vided with curved elastic arms ff, substangroove, a, and hollow handle B, removable tially as herein shown and described, whereby spheriealsiere (J, and stirrer l), provided with said stirrer may move without interruption, as curved elastic armsff, arranged as set forth. set forth.

5 2. The combination, with the sifter A,of the JOHN (J. WALKER. box or case E, provided with hopper F,having DAViD NICHOLS. a protruding neck, m, and slide -n, snbstan- Witnesses: tially as herein shown and described, whereby ARTHUR BANNING, material is automatically fed into said sifter, ORIs F. WILSON, 10 as set forth. LOUIS S. IRVIN,

3. In a sifter and strainer, the stirrer D, pro- ISAAC NEFP. 

